New guide explains complementary treatments
　　
Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the AIDS epidemic. Despite advances, battling HIV infection and the opportunistic infections that accompany AIDS remains difficult and expensive, and the prescription drugs come with their own dangerous side effects.
　　It's not surprising then that 70 percent of people with HIV or AIDS turn to complementary therapies that they may use to bolster drug treatment, relieve the stress of illness and therapy or even replace traditional medicines. But the array of complementary treatments for HIV and AIDS can be as bewildering as the drug regimens prescribed by physicians.

To sort out the confusion and offer advice about alternatives, the Community AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE), a Canadian AIDS information service, has compiled a Practical Guide to Complementary Therapies for People Living With HIV. The guide covers complete medical systems (e.g., homeopathy, naturopathy, Chinese medicine), wellness strategies, mind-body medicine and also discusses unconventional therapies.

"This publication makes information on complementary therapies easy for people to access and understand so they can actively participate in managing their health," says Anne Swarbrick, CATIE's executive director.